Into the Abyss
by Moonshine's Guide
Summary: When Misao and Shinjiro end up in Auldrant due to an unforeseen accident in Tartarus, the duo are forced to adapt to this brave new world that they have ended up in. And save some people along the way. Some Fool Moon Shipping.
1. Prologue

**Wow, I haven't done this is a while. This story was written for National Novel Writing Month, so I already have a good chunk of the story written. I just have to edit it. In any case, this is a crossover between Tales of the Abyss and Persona 3 Portable. I always liked this kind of idea, and I like playing around with it. Thank you for choosing to read my story. I hope that you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss and Persona 3 Portable belong to their respective owners. I simply came up with the idea of a crossover.**

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_**Prologue **_

_You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far._

_~James Baskett_

It was a time in between times, when nothing moved, and people lay unaware, nestled safely within black and red coffins. Water was blood in this time that was nestled between midnight and a minute past, and everything in Iwatodai and the nearby Tatsumi Port Island had a green tint, except for the interior of the tower.

The tower rose into the air, the largest building in sight. Rising far up into the night sky, almost brushing the waxing moon that hung overhead, an overripe orange in the bloody night sky. A conglomeration of buildings and columns, of large gem-like structures haphazardly thrown together marred the skyline of the city. Only a select few saw the outside of Tartarus, let alone the inside, for the Dark Hour, the only time the tower was seen, was only experienced by a special few.

For only those special few could enter this time outside of time, and venture forth into the alien landscape and gaze upon the tower called Tartarus. But those who entered rarely survived their encounter with the Dark Hour, due to the monsters that lurked within.

They were called Shadows, and they lurked within Tartarus. These monsters fed on the minds of their victims, leaving behind only a hollow shell of a person, who cared not a whit for anything or anyone in this world. The Lost drowned in a sea of agony and apathy, afflicted by monsters no normal person could see. What could one do to protect themselves from these monsters, creatures that lived in a time outside of time?

It fell to those who held the Potential to solve the problem of the Dark Hour, to get rid of the malignant hour that blighted the bustling Japanese city of Iwatodai. For it was those who had the potential who could wield the power of Persona, and beat back the menacing Shadows. This was the purpose for which S.E.E.S was founded.

The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad was a group of students who lived in the Iwatodai Dorm for Gekkoukan High. Together, they fought to eliminate the Shadows, and to solve the mystery of the Tower of Tartarus. It was for this purpose that the group climbed the treacherous tower, and beat down the monsters that they faced.

On the 136th floor of Tartarus, a small group walked, moving forward through the halls. This was Tziah, the fourth block of the tall tower, and it was decorated in golden hues, with tall Corinthian columns, with crisp gold flooring. It looked like something out of a mansion; it was quite unsettling to the leader of the group.

Sixteen year old Misao led the way, naginata gripped in both hands. She had joined back in April, when she had first arrived at the dorms, and had joined with little hesitation. Koromaru, the most loyal of dogs, trotted by her side, teeth firmly holding on to the dagger he wielded, followed by young Ken, the youngest member of S.E.E.S. Ken who was rather small, but the spear he used and his persona Nemesis fully made up for any perceived weakness he might have.

And finally, walking in the back was Shinjiro Aragaki, beanie pulled low on his head. An ax was held in one hand, ready to cut through any Shadow that dared to provoke his ire. If one were to simply look at the brunet, they would get the impression that this was one man that you would not cross and come out of the situation unscathed. He was a fierce fighter, and Misao trusted him with her life.

She trusted all of her companions with her life.

This floor was quiet, more quiet than normal. One might have postulated that due to the fact that they group had just defeated a Guardian, the Shadows were staying away, but Misao knew from months of experience that that wasn't how Tartarus and the Shadows worked. The Shadows kept throwing themselves at you, no matter which one of their brethren you had just defeated. The fact that no Shadow had attacked the group yet set the leader on edge, waiting for an attack that had yet to come.

The others could sense her unease, she could tell. Koromaru's fur was bristling, as the canine looked around, looking for the enemy. Ken had a similar look on his face, a too serious look for the elementary student. There were times when Misao wished that Ken were living a normal life, free of the Dark Hour. But it was his decision to fight, and if he truly wished to due so, she wouldn't stop the boy. To be honest, she doubted that she was capable of changing his mind. The only thing she could do was support his choice.

Shinjiro's gaze also examined the hall of Tartarus for the enemy, but she could also feel his eyes resting on her back every so often. Misao could always tell when he was looking at her. Mainly due to the fact that when he looked at her, butterflies started to riot in her abdomen like they were being beaten with a stick. Which probably wasn't the best of analogies, but at the moment, it was all she could come up with.

"Fuuka, can you sense anything?" The girl inquired as the group moved along.

A ghostly voice answered quietly. "Nothing much… I'm getting a bad feeling though… You should hurry." Fuuka Yamagishi served as mission control for SEES. Her persona, Lucia, was close to unparalleled in it detection abilities. For even though the duo was down on the first floor of Tartarus, they could sense everything about the floor that the group was on, regardless of distance.

"Thanks Fuuka," Misao replied, silence reigning once more. Where were the stairs to the next floor? Where was the transporter? Where were the Shadows? There were too many wheres, and not enough answers, and when the group arrived at the crosswalk, they paused.

"Ken, take Koro-chan, and keep looking for the stairs. If you find the transporter, go down. I have a bad feeling about this. It's… too quiet." Misao looked down at the ten year old, who nodded solemnly at her. A grin spread across her face. "Thanks, Ken. I knew I could count on you."

Koromaru barked, reminding the girl of who Ken's companion was. Misao knelt down, and scratched Koromaru behind the ears. "You too, Koro-chan. Look after each other."

With that, the group split up, each pair going their down the branch they had chosen, quickly vanishing out of each other's sight. Shinjiro and Misao cut a steady pace, moving quickly. This was taking too long, and both of them knew what happened when things took too long on a floor of Tartarus. The girl had to move quickly to keep up with the taller man as he strode down the hall. It had become a common enough sight since Shinjiro had joined at the beginning of September: the bigger man striding along and Misao flitting about the man, talking eagerly to him. Only, in this case, both were looking for enemies that weren't showing themselves, a cold feeling caressing the backs of their necks, walking together in silence.

More than a few minutes passed, as the duo wound their way deeper into the passages. They had almost turned around when Ken relayed them a message, via Fuuka. "I've found the transporter; Koro-chan and I are returning to the entrance." With a few words more, the boy relayed to them how to reach the transporter.

"Well, shall we go then, Shinji?" Misao inquired, twirling on her foot to make an about face, a happy tone in her voice now that they knew the way out. The brunet nodded, and the duo took off, Misao showing the relieved glee that the way out was now clear, while Shinjiro had his normal, neutral expression on.

They had almost reached the crossroads, when it came.

"I sense Death!" Fuuka bleated, a panicked tone ringing in her voice. "Run!"

Shinjiro and Misao needed no more warning. The brunet grabbed Misao's hand and started sprinting, with Misao hurrying to keep up, practically getting dragged along by Shinjiro. This was bad. Nobody in their group wanted to meet the Reaper, not after what had happened last time S.E.E.S. had fought the giant Shadow. The halls in Tartarus blurred as the two ran in their desperate flight, stumbling and sliding and running as fast as their legs could take them.

Behind them, the roar of the Reaper echoed throughout the hallways, chains clanking and clinking as the deadly Shadow pursued the duo. Relentlessly, endlessly, it pursued its prey, those who dared to remain for too long on one floor of Tartarus, regardless of the intruder's purpose for invading the tower.

Once, S.E.E.S. had decided to fight the abomination. Once, S.E.E.S. had almost been wiped out. The group had never tried to fight that Shadow again, for they knew when they were outmatched. So even though Shinjiro and Misao were two of the strongest members of S.E.E.S, they still ran.

Ducking around a corner, the two barely dodged a shot. The wall was less lucky. A large gouge was torn out of a column Misao and Shinjiro had just run past. The Reaper was catching up. Shinjiro ran faster, a firm grip on Misao's hand, dragging the girl along. For while Misao was a fairly fast runner, Shinjiro's long stride was almost impossible to match, a side effect of being nearly a foot shorter than the man. Misao put on an extra burst of speed in an attempt to keep up.

They were so close, so close. The directions that Ken had given them cascaded through Misao's head as they turned corners and ran down halls. Two lefts, four rights, follow the path to the light… the sentence repeated over and over again in her head, and she mouthed the words, a mantra to keep herself from cursing. Misao didn't know how Shinjiro could be so look so calm. In spite of the fact that they were being chased, Shinjiro had somehow retained a stoic look upon his face, one that almost leaned into an expression of irritation, but never quite passed into rage.

Shots rang out behind them, barely missing their mark, a violent reminder of what would happen to the two if they stopped running. They rounded the last corner, practically sliding over the floor and crashing into a wall. The Reaper still shot at them, over and over and over again. Neither Misao nor Shinjiro saw the shot that hit the transporter. They were too busy trying to get there.

With a quick pull, Shinjiro slung Misao over his shoulder and picked up the speed, charging full throttle at the shining transporter that promised salvation, and with one last burst of energy, flung himself and Misao into the transporter and activated it.

There was a bright flash of light, one that blinded the two. In her mind, Misao saw an image of two people: a man with long fire red hair and green eyes and a woman with soft brown hair holding a knife. She opened her mouth to speak, but they were gone too quickly.

Everything was gone; only pure blackness and still silence remained.

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**Thank you for reading my story! Please have a nice day.**

**-Moonshine's Guide**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey, Thanks for reading! I'm Moonshine's Guide, and welcome to Chapter Two of **_**Into the Abyss. **_**I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: This is the work of a person who simply enjoys both Persona 3 and Tales of the Abyss. I own nothing.**

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**Chapter One**

_"I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way." _

~Carl Sagan

"Misao."

"Misao, wake up."

"Misao!"

The girl groaned at the sound of the voice, curling her body into a small ball as flowers brushed her face with delicate petals. She didn't want to wake up, even if Shinjiro was calling her name. It was so nice, lying here in a bed of flowers…

Her eyes shot open. Flowers? But they had been in Tartarus, there were no flowers in Tartarus, nothing except statues and architecture and Shadows. "Wha-?" she mumbled, struggling to throw off sleep and rise to her feet. A strong hand pressed her shoulder down, keeping her in a sitting position. Misao's eyes blearily followed the hand up the attached arm to its owner, and looked at Shinjiro, who was kneeling before her.

"Where are we?" she asked, her head swiveling as she took in the sights around her. They were in a field of glowing flowers nestles in some sort of valley. At night. In seeing distance of the ocean. The girl didn't recognize this place at all. Where were they? Were they in Tartarus, in some area they had never seen before? Or were they in some part of Iwatodai that the girl had yet to see?

"Don't know," Shinjiro gruffly replied to her inquiry, examining the girl for any injuries he might have missed. Misao made little protest as Shinjiro looked her over. It felt nice to have the man be so concerned over her. It wasn't the most feminist of sentiments, but

Misao didn't care. Shinjiro wasn't the most open of people, and to be honest, Misao wasn't quite sure of how he felt about her normally and the display of concern was touching. Well, she knew he cared. The girl just wasn't sure how much. "…you stand?"

Misao blinked, coming out of her thoughts. "What?"

The man shook his head, hiding a chuckle. "Can you stand?" he repeated patiently. Misao blushed slightly, nodding, before moving to stand. Gripping Shinjiro's hand firmly, she rose to her feet, Shinjiro moving to stand with her.

"Time to find our way out," she stated with determination as she changed the subject, still holding onto Shinjiro's hand steadily with her one hand while the other one made a fist pump. "I think I hear a river, and rivers usually lead somewhere." Her eyes flicked up to Shinjiro's face. He was staring down at her, an indiscernible look on his face. The girl fought the urge to fidget under the other's grim stare, her eyes staring right back at him. "You okay?" she asked.

Shinjiro blinked, before quickly looking away. The darkness of the night hid whatever expression might be on the man's face, much to Misao's disappointment. " I'm fine," Shinjiro asserted. "Let's go."

Misao blinked at the man's reply, before smiling sunnily at her tall companion. "Okay." She took a step, before she stopped, having realized that she was missing something.

"Where's my naginata?" The girl turned around in a complete circle, searching for her weapon. Within seconds, she had lunged away Towards a deep patch of flowers, where one could barely see a dark object sticking out. One smooth motion brought the weapon up off the ground and into the girl's experienced hands, ready to be used. "Okay, now I'm ready~" Misao sang out, waltzing over to Shinjiro's side, and latched onto a sleeve, tugging the man along. The man rolled his eyes and knelt down to grab his ax, before he let the girl drag him along.

They hadn't gone very far in the valley before they were attacked. A boar-like creature launched out of the valley's undergrowth, squealing madly as it tried to gore Shinjiro. The man stepped out of the way, before delivering a sharp blow with his ax to the back of the boar's neck, jerking the weapon out a moment later. Misao would have congratulated the man, had not a small plant-esque creature tried to attack her. The girl batted the critter away with the butt of her naginata, before reversing the weapon and bisected the creature into two parts without batting an eye. The duo had faced much worse in Tartarus, and boar monsters and plant monsters were simply another creature to cut down.

"Those creatures didn't look like Shadows," Misao observed after the fight had finished, walking over to where Shinjiro stood over the body of the boar, ax hefted over his shoulder as his eyes examined the dead corpse behind him. The girl absently prodded the dead boar with the tip of her naginata. "And they don't fade like the Shadows do after we kill them. Just where are we?"

Shinjiro shrugged. "Don't know. We should go find some people, and get directions."

The girl nodded slowly. "Yeah. I get the feeling that we're not in Tartarus anymore. There's… too much that doesn't match up." Misao eyed the river that she could see in the distance: it was actual flowing water, and not blood like was found in the dark hour. The green hues were limited to grass and plants, and now that she took the moment to listen, and Misao could hear the chatter of birds and the rustling of creatures in the undergrowth. It was like the Dark Hour had already past, had ended while they were unconscious. But there was nothing here that looked like Iwatodai or Tatsumi Port Island. Just where had that transporter taken them? Were they outside of the city, or in a hidden part of the tower?

Such were the questions that filtered through Misao's head as the duo slowly but surely made their way through the valley. A riverside path they found quickly enough, and followed the leaping waters as they made their way. Monsters attacked every so often, leaping, crawling, shuffling, running, flying out of the undergrowth to attack the lost pair. They came in every shape and size, and neither Shinjiro nor Misao had ever seen creatures like their attackers before. In spite of that fact, the duo fought back. It was as it was a normal night in Tartarus, except for one fact.

Neither used their Persona. It was as if some unsaid agreement had been reached between the two. Since it wasn't the Dark Hour, since the duo had no clue where they were, since there were too many questions, no Personas were used. Neither wanted to know at the moment what would happen if they tried to summon their personas, if everything would be fine and dandy, or if there brains would be abruptly exiting their heads in a rather explosive fashion. In any case, it wasn't as if it was necessary at the moment to summon their Personas anyways. They were doing fine just using their weapons to press the offensive and cut through the waves of monsters that assaulted them.

In spite of the perceived ease with which they took down the monsters, it still took almost an hour for the duo to get to the mouth of the valley. While the strange valley and the monsters within were nothing compared to the labyrinthine halls of Tartarus, the poor lighting and faint paths made it hard for Misao and Shinjiro to find their way. The river was their best guide, and they followed it carefully and slowly, tromping over the stones and plants that covered the riverside. Misao led the way; for while Shinjiro was stronger than her physically, months of exploring Tartarus had taught the girl how to figure out the best path to take. But still, there were differences between navigating the halls of Tartarus and this unknown river valley, ranging from simply picking out a safe path among the rocks and plants, to not getting shoved into the river itself by attacking monsters.

The two were tired by the time they finally emerged into the valley's opening. They had climbed five floors of Tartarus before they had ended up in this valley, and the constant monster attacks had worn down on the two. Misao was still walking, but even a stranger could tell she was about to fall asleep. Shinjiro showed no exhaustion physically, but his eyes betrayed him, a certain tiredness readily apparent in those grey brown eyes for whoever happened to look at them. They were more than ready to find somewhere to sleep, even if it was a small corner in the valley where they would be only marginally safe from the seemingly constant barrage of monsters.

"Are you the Dark Wings?"

The voice came out of nowhere. Shinjiro's ax sprung into an offensive position, while Misao held her naginata at the ready. "Who're you? What're the Dark Wings?" she demanded, looking around to identify where the voice had come from.

Within seconds, her eyes honed in on a scared man who appeared from the shadows, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Please don't hurt me!" He was practically quivering in fear, staring at the two as if they were covered in blood and had been seen consuming human flesh. "I'm didn't do anything! I just need to get some water!" A bucket was held out between him and the two who stared at him suspiciously.

Shinjiro still had a firm grip on his ax, glaring at the man from under his black beanie. The man shifted uncomfortably under the brunet's glare, shifting from foot to foot. The silence was tense, uncomfortable, as the groups stared at one another, not quite willing to budge for someone they had never before.

It was Misao who relaxed first, placing a hand on Shinjiro's arm as she moved her naginata so it didn't point at the stranger's jugular anymore.

"Shinjiro-, I think we can trust him. I'm sorry for our rudeness, but you scared us." Misao ignored her companion's huff of disapproval, bowing slightly to the stranger. "We honestly don't know who the Dark Wings are, let alone actually be them."

The man was evidently surprised by Misao's statement for he gaped at her for a moment, before responding. "How do you not know who the Dark Wings are? They're bandits! You shouldn't be traveling if you don't know about the dangers in the area."

Misao rubbed the back of her head absently. "Oh, well. I haven't heard of them, have you Shinjiro?" She waited until she saw her companion nod, and then continued on. "In fact, we're rather lost at the moment. Do you know where we are?" A little giggle slid out, as if to make up for her show of ignorance.

The man by now looked as though he wanted to bury his face in his hands or start banging his head against the nearest tree trunk. "This is Tataroo Valley! How do you not know where you are?"

"We got lost, what didn't you understand?" Shinjiro replied, slightly relaxing the arm that held his ax, while the other slid into the pocket of his coat. He still looked ready to attack at any moment.

The look on Shinjiro's face, in conjunction with his posture, scared the unknown man. Sputtering out his reply, the panic in the man's voice made his message unintelligible. "If you're heading to the city, I can take you there. I run a coach service that runs across the country. If you have a destination, I can get you there faster than you can walk it."

Shinjiro and Misao looked at each other, and it took a minute for them to understand what the man had said. Once it finally clicked, the wheels in their head began to turn. Perhaps… just perhaps… they had only been transported out of the city. It was a slim chance, but it was possible. Even if it wasn't Iwatodai, if they got to a city, any city, they could at least gather more information about where they were, and how they could get back home. It was better than wandering around here, lost out in the wild.

"How much does it cost?" Shinjiro inquired after a few seconds of silence.

The man rubbed his hands together in anticipation of a potential deal. "To get to the city, it's 6,000 gald each." His fear of Shinjiro had been banished in the face of getting paid.

"Gald?" Misao parroted, sharing a concerned glance with Shinjiro. She had never heard of something called gald. Gold, she had heard of, but never something called gald. An uneasy feeling churned in the pit of her stomach, before she took a breath, and forced herself to calm down. Shinjiro pulled her away, telling the coach driver that they needed a moment. "We don't have gald, Shinji," she told Shinjiro after they were out of earshot. "I have over a million yen from Tartarus in the side pack, but I don't have anything called gald."

"Do you have some of those gems? The ones you trade with the antique dealer?" Shinjiro asked.

Misao's eyes lit up at the suggestion, her hands moving quickly to the side pack. Shinjiro leaned in over the girl's shoulder as Misao reached into a small side pack that hung around her waist and withdrew a small bag, tugging it open. The man held out his hand so that she could pour out the gems, quickly shifting through the various gems, using Shinjiro's proffered hand as a table.. The girl hummed to herself as she picked out the six nicest gems. "Think these will do?" Misao waited until her companion had put two more gems in, and put the rest of the Tartarus gems back into the pouch.

"Will these do, sir?" she inquired as she walked over, dragging Shinjiro with to use as a gem stand.

The coachman slowly examined the offered gems, looking carefully. He examined each gem carefully, picking them up and turning them over and checking their color. The minutes passed slowly for Misao and Shinjiro. If he didn't accept this offer, then they wouldn't be able to pay for a ride, and then they'd have to walk, with no clue of which way to walk or what towns were even nearby.

"If you have one more of these green ones I'll give you a ride to the city," he informed her, nodding to himself. There was an odd look on his face, but neither Misao or Shinjiro caught it.

Misao blinked in surprise, before grinning wildly and letting out a small whoop of joy. "Thank you so very much!" she cried out, bowing deeply to the man, before quickly fishing out another one of the gems. The gems were handed over, and the driver slipped them into a bag.

"I'll take you to the coach in a minute; I just need to get water for my pair," the coach man explained, leaning down to pick up the almost forgotten bucket. Shinjiro and Misao followed the driver to the river, Misao chattering happily with the man as she introduced herself and Shinjiro. The driver seemed rather overwhelmed by the sudden flow of chatter, but Shinjiro just listened with one hand shoved in his pocket and the other holding his weapon. He was used to Misao's almost constant flow of words, and he liked to let her talk. It was comforting in a way.

Shinjiro wasn't sure quite how it happened, but he ended up carrying the bucket of water back to the coach for the driver. It involved puppy dog eyes and Misao, but beyond that Shinjiro was clueless. He even ended up helping the driver water the mounts, which were some weird cross between a lizard and a horse that Shinjiro had never seen before that moment. Misao helped with that, cooing over the creatures and petting them, not even batting an eye at the odd creatures. It took a minute to separate the girl from the mounts, with Shinjiro eventually pulling her away to the open coach door. Helping her step up into coach, he wondered how they had ever gotten to this point, paying for coach rides drawn by animals they had never seen before.

There wasn't anything they could do now. They just had to go where they were taken, pray that it was the right way, and try to figure out what had happened to them in Tartarus. With a click, Shinjiro shut the coach door behind him, and settled down into the seat. Perhaps he could finally get some rest now.

His eyes slid shut as the coach took off, slowly heading off towards the city.

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**Thank you for reading! I hope you have a nice day. If you have time, reviews are nice. Later~**

**-Moonshine's Guide**


	3. Chapter 2

**New chapter~ Sorry it took so long to post. Finals were much more stressful than I thought they would be, and then I was distracted by my new Nook. But now I have a new chapter for everyone~ Thank you~**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine: Tales of the Abyss belongs to Namco Bandai, and Persona 3 belongs to Atlus. I just borrow the concepts for my own enjoyment.

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**Chapter Two**

"_Problems become opportunities _

_when the right people come together."_

_~Robert South_

When Shinjiro awoke, he felt a smaller body leaning against himself. Without opening his eyes, the man knew who was using him as a pillow. Misao must have moved while he was asleep. He cracked an eye open, and sure enough, he saw that Misao had rested her head on his arm and was sleeping soundly, mouth slightly open. The man made no sound, content to let his companion sleep.

He had no clue how long they had been in the coach, but it must have been for some time. Already, the sun was beginning to rise in the sky. When they had gotten into the coach, it had been night. Now the coach was rolling over a large calm plain.

"G'morning…"

Shinjiro's gaze shifted to look down at his companion, who was now groggily rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Good morning to you too, drowsy."

Misao pursed her lips in irritation. "You fell asleep before I did," she protested as she shrugged off the throes of sleep.

A grin spread across Shinjiro's face when he saw Misao's expression and he quietly chuckled. "Suppose I did," he admitted, shifting slightly in his seat. A small grin of triumph spread across the girl's face at his statement.

"But you were out longer."

The girl's smile turned into a pout. "Aw, that's no fun Shinji," she protested. Misao hadn't moved from her position since she had woken up, and had no intention of doing so until she was forcibly moved. It felt so nice, just to lean against Shinjiro and rest. She felt safe, as if there were no problems, that there was no Tartarus, that they were simply back in the dorm lounge and resting after a trip out somewhere.

The coach's sudden jolt quickly knocked that line of thinking out of Misao's mind. The girl pitched forward, only to be pulled back onto the seat by Shinjiro. "What's going on?" Misao asked quietly, trying to look out of the window of the coach. Her line of questioning was immediately amended. "What is_ that_?"

Outside the coach's window could be seen a giant metal ship, cruising along the plain, chasing and firing at something the two could not see. The ship was enormous, easily dwarfing the coach that Misao and Shinjiro were riding in. Large sails on top of the mechanical vehicle caught the wind and propelled the it forward, with some help from whatever engines the machine might have.

Misao stared in open awe as the ship moved across the land. She must have made a noise, or perhaps uttered something to express her admiration, for the coach driver explained what the ship was.

"That's the Tartarus. It's Malkuth's newest land dreadnaught."

"Tartarus?" Misao asked, worried. Was that the form of Tartarus in this world? A giant moving metal ship, rather than a tower that rose endlessly into the sky? The girl stared out at the moving ship, trying to figure out if this ship had any connection to the identically named tower, and if it did, what the connection was.

"Malkuth." Shinjiro stated, thinking about the new term. It sounded like whoever owned this version of Tartarus was called Malkuth. If that was even possible.

"You guys really were lost, weren't you?" the coachman stated, a note of sympathy in his voice. "We're in the empire of Malkuth, just outside Engeve. That's where I'm going to drop you off."

"Thank you," Misao replied as cheerfully as she could, after a slight pause, to mask her confusion. Glancing over at Shinjiro, she saw that the brunet had the same confused look on his face. Leaning in, she whispered as quietly as she could into his ear. "I've never heard of a empire called Malkuth. Have you?"

Shinjiro shook his head, and motioned for the girl to be quiet. The coachman was still talking. "…threat of the war with Kimlasca is rising, and the Tartarus is the newest fon tech. Although, I don't know if I'll still be able to keep running the coach if war starts. The borders will close, and trade will slow down." That explained the ticket. "You two aren't Kimlascan, are ya?"

"No!" Misao replied, trying to make sure she didn't sound too panicked. From what the man had been saying, they were in some area that they had never been in before. Just where had the transporter in Tartarus taken them?

"If you say so…" the coachman said dubiously.

"Look, it's stopping!" the girl interrupted in an attempt to change the topic. Practically leaning out the window, Misao pointed a finger at the ship. After a moment, a note of confusion entered voice as she continued "And it's got some sort of barrier…"

The confusion was shared by the driver. "I wonder why…"

That was when the explosion rocked the coach. This time, Shinjiro couldn't pull Misao back into the seat. He ended up on the floor of the coach, landing hard against the coach's floor with a large thump. Misao landed on top of him with a small oomph, as the mounts pulling the carriage spooked and took off. The coach driver struggled to take control of the mounts, but it took a few minutes. It was a wild ride. Misao and Shinjiro were bounced around in the coach, sliding from side to side. It was useless to try to get back up onto the seats, for as soon as one of the two tried, the coach swayed and knocked them back down. So Shinjiro curled his arms around Misao and held her to his chest, trying to keep Misao from getting injured.

By the time the driver finally did manage to get the team under control, Shinjiro had acquired several more bruises, and Misao had started to fuss over him. The brunet bore it with good measure as the girl made sure he was all right, silently waiting for the inspection to end. "I'm fine," he told her as she was trying to pull off his coat to get a look at his arms and torso to inspect for bruising. "Stop worrying. A coach ride isn't going to kill me."

Misao looked up at him, scrutinizing his expression to make sure that he wasn't lying. "Idiot. I'm fine," he told her, lifting her up and setting her down on the seat, before moving to sit down next to her.

The girl was still eyeing him as though she expected him to suddenly start bleeding, before sighing and looking out the window. "If you say so…" she murmured, leaning towards the window. "Is everything all right?" she called out to the driver, who made a disgruntled noise in reply. The driver had just finished cursing out the mounts, and several other people that neither Misao or Shinjiro knew. It was evident that they wouldn't be getting an answer any time soon.

The two waited patiently in the coach as the driver worked, sitting next to each other, whispering to each other. They were unsure of what they could do to help the driver, and neither wanted to be in the way. The driver had refused their offers of help in any case.

"Shinji, I don't think we're anywhere near Iwatodai. Where did the transporter take us?" Misao was looking out the window, at the Tartarus. She had never seen anything like that, not personally or on the internet, back home.

"Don't know. Somewhere else," he paused. "I've never heard of Malkuth or this Engeve place, and I doubt the driver is lying about where we're going."

Misao looked over at him with a concerned look. "Does that mean we're in another dimension? I mean, the Dark Hour was formed when the Kirijo Group was experimenting with time travel and shadows and stuff, so…"

Shinjiro shrugged his shoulders, settling back into his seat and shoved his hands into his coat pockets, turning his head to gaze at his companion. "It's possible. But how would the transporter do that?"

The girl propped her elbows on her knees, leaning forward to rest her head on her hands, looking perturbed. "I don't know…" she sighed. "I really don't know…"

There was a slight pause, before Shinjiro moved, scooting over on the seat so that he was sitting right beside Misao. Gently, he slid an arm around her to comfort her. He didn't like seeing her in such a state. The girl shot him a grateful smile, leaning into the embrace and resting her head against him.

"Thank you Shinji."

"No problem Misao."

"I'm glad you're here."

"Same here."

And with that, the two curled up to wait for the driver to finish what he was doing.

* * *

The hamlet called Engeve was nestled in the midst of large fields, the bread basket of the Malkuth Empire. Or so the driver informed his passengers as the coach approached the bustling town. Misao had slid closer to the window to get a better view of the world outside. There were no farms or fields back home in Japan like the ones she saw as the coach drove along, and the girl eagerly lapped up the view.

Shinjiro sat nearby, watching both the girl and the countryside, thinking over their situation. There were still too many questions, and the possibility that they were in another dimension was problematic. He didn't like the fact that he didn't know what was coming, that he didn't know where he was, that he didn't know if he would have enough medicine for however long he and Misao were stuck here. His hand absently clenched around the pill box in his pocket. He didn't have much; his supply had been diminished when he had given some to Chidori back in the hospital, and the fact that he had been cut off from his suppliers. If he ran out of the medicine, he would have no way to get more medicine. And if he had no medicine…

"Are you all right?"

The brunet blinked, and glanced over at Misao. She had leaned back in her seat, forsaking the opportunity to look out the window to look over at her companion. At his silence, she continued. "You look upset. Is everything all right?"

Slowly, Shinjiro relaxed his grip. "I'm fine," he reassured. "Just… thinking about this." He rolled his shoulders, as if to gesture to the world around them.

Misao nodded, a grin appearing on her face. "Everything will work out. Hey, don't look at me like that! It will. We just have to work together, and we'll figure out how to get home," she told him confidently, pumping her arms in enthusiasm.

"Idiot," Shinjiro said, shaking his head slightly to hide his amusement.

Misao pouted at him, but it didn't last long, quickly turning into a smile. "We're almost to Engeve. We'll have to ask around, and get some information." _Maybe if we figure out who those people were, we can figure out how we got here. _The girl had told Shinjiro about the two she had seen when the transporter had been activated. A red haired man dressed in a white coat, and a pretty brunette clad in a brown dress-esque outfit. Her companion had confirmed that he too had seen the pair. Misao figured that they had something to do with why she and Shinjiro were in this situation, and that if they found the mysterious man and woman, they could figure out how they had gotten here. The first thing that they had to do was figure out who the mystery people were and then find them. Which might actually be hard, if only for the fact that Misao had no clue who the two were, nor did she have any clue where they might be, or if they were even on this world. But Misao was certain that with Shinjiro's help, they could do it.

The minutes passed in a contemplative silence, and before Misao knew it, the coach was slowing down to a halt. "Welcome to Engeve," the driver called out from his perch, already moving to dismount. "You should be able to find your way from here, or at the very least get a map, so you don't get lost. But I don't think you'll be able to get back across Rotelro bridge. Whatever the Tartarus was chasing blew it up." There was a short pause. "That's what spooked my team. They're normally quite calm"

"I'm sure they are sir," Misao replied sweetly as she bounced up from her seat, stretched absently. Shinjiro stood up after her, waiting for her to open the door which she was currently blocking with her body. The girl stretched for a minute or two, before she realized that Shinjiro was waiting for her to move. "Oops! Sorry Shinjiro~" She finished her last stretched and hopped out of the coach with her naginata, the brunet following after her at a sedate pace with his own weapon held in his hand.

The coach driver was securing his mounts when the two walked up to him. "Thank you," Misao said, bowing slightly to the man. Shinjiro just nodded, hands shoved deep into his pockets. "We truly appreciate that you gave us a ride, even after we were hostile. If you need help, please ask."

"There's no need… just doing my job Miss," the driver replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry that the ride got so bumpy. I hope you find your way."

Goodbyes were exchanged, and Shinjiro and Misao went on their way, walking off into the town. It was a bustling village, the calls of vendors echoing over the various sounds of animals and regular human activity. The duo walked hand in hand, Shinjiro letting Misao lead the way. She ranged all over, flitting from talking with a working woman on the subject of the Tartarus to cooing over a creature called a rappig, some bizarre creature that looked like somebody had slammed rabbit ears on a pig. And everywhere they went, they were the subject of weird looks.

The woman they had run into spoke about her son, who worked on the Tartarus. It was looking like the Tartarus that they had seen earlier wasn't quite connected to the Tartarus Misao and Shinjiro knew. According to the woman, it was a military ship, run by a Colonel Jade Curtiss. Her son was the man's aide, and Misao listened to a several minute long speech on how the woman was proud of her son for his rising star status, and how he was always writing home, and how he just visited home as the Tartarus was in the area. Misao listened attentively, instinctively knowing when to nod and interject, commiserate and inquire. Shinjiro had stood off aways, examining the rappigs. It had been the same woman who had laughed at the look in his eyes and explained what the creatures were.

Misao lavished attention on the nearby pig with rabbit ears as the woman spoke, squealing quietly over the critter's cuteness, dragging Shinjiro into admiring the creature. The woman had laughed, and said something about young love. Both blushed, Shinjiro averting his face to avoid showing to Misao that he was blushing and Misao stuttering out a denial. Their reactions just caused the woman to laugh harder, and the two blushed fiercer.

The woman eased up on the two. "If you say so…" she said, a smile still spread across her face, simply shaking her head at the reactions of the two as she examined the two. "At the very least, tell me you have a change of clothes."

The two blinked. Just where had that come from? At the looks of confusion, the kind woman explained further. "It's obvious from your weapons that you two are fighters, but… You have monster blood on your clothes, which is fine for the road, but will raise looks if you do the same in town. Did you lose your things?"

At first, the woman's words were met with confusion. But within seconds, what she said clicked in Misao's mind, and she looked down at her clothing, scrutinizing the cloth for blood.

"EW! My Uniform!" she wailed, finally noticing what was covering her school uniform. When the duo had been fighting their way through Tataroo valley, they had simply killed the monsters without thinking about the possible ramifications. Misao had just learned one of them. Her uniform was stained with dry monster blood from all the fights, large splatters, small splatters, along with some meatier chunks of gore. "This is never going to come clean!"

The stains on Shinjiro's pea coat were harder to spot, for the blood blended right into the maroon color of the fabric, and the same held true for his dark pants. The only thing that looked like it escaped the staining was his black turtleneck. The man was taking the revelation in a much calmer manner than his companion, with a simple sigh and an urge to clap a hand to his face at the panicked reaction of his partner.

The woman chuckled. "It's okay, my son did the same thing when he was your age." Looping an arm through Misao's, she began to lead the girl away. "Here let me help you two…"

Misao immediately stopped complaining, and started to protest, slipping out of the woman's grasp. "Ma'am, we can't infringe on you! It would be rude!" Shinjiro agreed, and voiced his objections as well.

The woman laughed it off. "I never said it was for free! You can help my brother with something, in exchange for the clothes and a room for the night." The woman's eyes slid up and down as she looked at the duo, and Misao suddenly felt self-conscious and embarrassed. How had she not noticed that her clothes were covered? No wonder the driver had thought that they were the Dark Wings or whoever. They must have looked absolutely wretched back in the valley. She shook off her panic.

"What would your brother need us for?" she inquired.

The woman grinned. "I'm glad that you're considering this. Somebody's been stealing food from the storehouse, and we need to figure out who. The Fon Master found some cheagle hair…"

"Fon Master?" Misao interrupted, confused.

"I know its odd that the leader of the Order of Lorelei is in town, but please, let me finish," the woman replied gently. "But he found some cheagle hair in my brother's storehouse, and we think he's going to try to go investigate tomorrow, alone. Will you please go with him?"

Misao looked back at Shinjiro, who stared down at her. The girl thought over the offer. It was a good deal, clothing and shelter for a bit of guard duty tomorrow. The only downside was that neither had any clue who the Fon Master was or what the Order of Lorelei was, but from the reverent way the woman said them, they sounded fairly important. And it sounded like they could be of help and get some more information about this world. "Would you mind doing this Shinjiro? I think we should…"

The brunet shrugged. "I trust you," he told her gruffly, and left the decision up to her.

Misao nodded. "Okay." Turning to the woman, she bowed slightly. "We would gladly accept your offer Ma'am."

The woman beamed. "Excellent! Thank Yulia, I was so worried about the Fon Master. He had this determined look in his eye, and we don't want him getting hurt on our account. Thank you so very much. The Score was right in telling me that I would find help at the market today." Suddenly, she was all business, leading the two away from where they were talking. "My name is Jane, and my brother Kelly runs the local inn. I'll make all the arrangements, and I'm sure I have clothes that fit you." Chattering happily, the woman led them away, answering any questions either Misao or Shinjiro had.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading, and thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate the reviews and the story favorites. Thank you so very much!**

**Have a nice day~!**

**-Moonshine's Guide**


	4. Chapter 3

**Oh my, it's been a while. My apologies. I really don't have an excuse beyond laziness and some computer issues. In any case, before I forget, this is a Shinjiro/FeMC fic. I should have put that earlier. It is sort of blatant in this chapter. **

**In any case, thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. As a reminder, I do not own Persona 3 or Tales of the Abyss.

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**

**Chapter 3**

_In this world you've just got to hope for the best _

_and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends. _

~_Lucy Maude Montegomery_

Jane kept her promise. She led them to the inn and ushered them inside, pausing to speak with a gruff man standing by the counter. A few words had been exchanged during the passing, and before Misao knew it, she and Shinjiro had been separated to get new clothes.

It was awkward at first, having Jane flitter about and having her try on this shirt and that shirt, these pants or those pants. Never had Misao been fussed over in this manner, just for clothes. When she had been growing up, she had always gotten clothes that fit, or a simple school uniform. Nothing expensive, always cheap. Those she had lived with had not viewed getting the best of clothing for the pass-along child as the most important duty in their lives. The fact that Jane was fussing over a girl she had just met warmed Misao's heart, and the Japanese girl expressed her thanks with great enthusiasm.

It took them a while to find clothes that would fit Misao, for she was smaller than Jane. They eventually settled on a white blouse cinched loosely with a soft yellow corset and a manageable knee length skirt. Misao kept her shoes because the boots that Jane thought of as sensible were much too big for Misao to wear comfortably. Several spare outfits were packed away in a bag as well.

The girl wouldn't let so much kindness go on without compensation. After she had changed into her clothing, Misao insisted that she help Jane clean up the inn. For the rest of the afternoon she helped to change sheets and clean rooms for new guests. Shinjiro was nowhere to be to be seen. He had been sent away with Jane's husband to get new clothes, so it was solely Jane and Misao working together.

In a way, it was a good thing. The girl got Jane to explain just what this Order of Lorelei thing was. The older woman had been very surprised when the girl had asked, almost in shock. "How can you not know?" she had said, and had launched into an explanation of what the Order of Lorelei was, the kind only a fervent follower could give.

The Order of Lorelei was a religious order, devoted to the upkeep and protection of The Score, Jane informed Misao, and what blessed people they were, led by the Fon Master and the Maestros. For the Score was all-knowing, and always right. It could tell you everything from the weather, to what you would eat for breakfast, to what would happen that day with perfect accuracy. It was the Score that had told Jane to go out today, that there would be a man and woman traveling together who she should help, and who she should ask for help from.

The woman's praise of the Score seemed to be never ending, and it continued on for a good time. Misao struggled to commit as much as she could to memory. The Score was a prophecy, read from fon stones by those who had the ability to use the Seventh Fonon, one of the core components of the world. And it seemed as though everyone followed that prophecy without question, with complete obedience. This world was so alien and strange… but Misao said nothing of her unease to Jane, cheerily trying to keep up her end of the conversation. There were religions in her world that had the same fanaticism that Jane held for this Score.

With a quick motion, she finished making the bed she was working on, settling the pillows neatly on top of the comforter, and stepped back, eyeing her work. Jane had finished sweeping the rest of the suite, the last one for the day. Misao sighed and stretched, before bouncing in place, pumping her fist in a victory motion. "Finished~" she sang out, a little smile on her face.

Jane laughed at the girl's little dance of victory as she swept the last of the dirt into the dust pan. "So we are. Are you ready for dinner then?"

Misao's stomach grumbled in reply. The girl blushed sheepishly, putting a hand over her growling stomach. "Yep," she said, joining in as Jane began to laugh harder.

They put away the cleaning gear and headed downstairs. The dining room was communal; all guests came here to join in the feast that was held at eight o'clock at night, so that all could eat, even the neighboring farmers who came here after working in the fields. Misao and Jane sat at the middle of the long table, as the food was piled on top, stew with meat and vegetables for the main portion, and bread as a side dish. Water was the main drink, except for some of the older ones, who partook of ale instead.

It was a happy time. Misao spoke with Kelly, the owner of the in. He was hoping that whoever was stealing from the storehouse would be caught soon. The villagers were puzzled as to who was breaking in to steal the food, no matter how many guards were posted. Many of the other farmers agreed with the man's hope that it would be cleared up soon, so that they didn't go bankrupt from not being able to sell the food they had grown.

The girl was so busy talking animatedly with the farmer, trying to come up with solutions which ranged from the normal to the bizarre, that she didn't notice Shinjiro slid into the empty seat until a familiar hand reached for the bread basket that sat in front of her. The girl finished her thought, something about little creatures coming from the sky through cracks and taking the food back to their overlord as piece offerings, and turned to say hello to Shinjiro. And fell silent.

Shinjiro Aragaki normally clothed himself in concealing clothing, a beanie pulled low over his brow and a jacket covering him from neck to knee. But that coat had been ruined with the blood of monsters, and he had been forced to forsake it. And now…

Misao had never really appreciated how tight Shinjiro's shirt was until she saw the man without his coat. The black turtleneck clung to his body and outlined the firm body beneath, and combined with the cream pants he must have gotten from Jane's husband, Misao was pretty sure she could stare at him forever. That wasn't even the best part. A wicked grin overtook the girl's features. "You're not wearing your hat, Shinjiro," she cooed, reaching up with her free hand and patting Shinjiro's bare head.

Shinjiro looked away from the girl, a blush fairly visible on his cheeks and moved away from her inquisitive hand. "Don't do that, Fumetsu," he growled, as the farmers and the other dinners laughed at the exchange.

The girl giggled, and returned to her dinner. "Okay Shinjiro~ if you say so." She was still eyeing her companion out of the corner of her eye, a fluttering feeling in her stomach. This was one sight that she was never going to get. Shinjiro looked downright handsome. Well, he always was handsome in Misao's opinion. It was just a little easier to see when he wasn't dressed like a thug. If this were a romance novel, Misao thought to herself, this is where I would swoon.

The rest of the meal went quickly. A few of the farmers had tried to tease Shinjiro, but his piercing glare quickly quieted them, much to the amusement of the others eating. It was a peaceful time for a meal, with good food and great company. The girl was reminded of the dinners back in the dorm, with the rest of S.E.E.S. Dinners there had been much more chaotic, starting with fighting over who would prepare the meal, and finally ending, hours later, with arguing over whose turn it was to do the dishes.

"Did you help make this?" Misao asked Shinjiro around a bite of meat. She had never quite tasted any meat like this before; the girl suspected that she was eating rappig at the moment. At his silence, which she took for a Shinji-yes, she smiled sweetly up at the brunet. "It's very good Shinjiro."

"Thanks."

The two helped the kitchen staff to clean up after everyone was done, picking up dishes and cleaning them up, packaging the left over stew for use as lunch tomorrow. Shinjiro and Misao stuck close to each other as they helped to clear the table, a companionable silence shared between the two as they worked together. When they finished Jane pulled them to the side.

"The Fon Master will be in front of Rose's house in the morning. It's to the left as you leave the inn. To get to the Cheagle forest, he'll have to go early, so be ready to wake up before dawn." Jane paused, looking from Misao to Shinjiro and back again. "Thank you for doing this."

"Thank you for feeding us, and clothing us, and giving us a place to rest," Misao replied, taking the woman's hands between her own, looking gratefully up at the other woman's face. "I cannot tell you how thankful we are."

Jane smiled. "It's what any Score-abiding woman would do. Now, it's getting late. As you have to get up early, you should get some sleep." The two followed the woman, stopping before an oaken door. "This is your room; if you stop by the kitchen in the morning, you can pick up some stew for tomorrow. Sleep well." Jane swiftly hugged Misao, and left.

The girl started to protest the room assignment, but Jane was gone too quickly. Had anyone seen her face, they would have seen the smug smirk on the woman's face. Shinjiro, on the other hand, had no clue why Misao would protest a room. She was blushing ferociously, and refused to open the door. Raising an eyebrow, Shinjiro swung the door open and peered into the room he they had been given.

Ah. That explained it.

"I'll sleep on the floor if you want me to," he offered, fighting to keep from blushing.

Misao shook her head violently. "I don't want you to sleep on the floor. I want you to to sleep well…" she babbled, her entire face turning a bright shade of red.

The brunet's hand had risen to cover his face. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable…"

"I won't be uncomfortable!"

"Tch, I'll be fine on the floor if I have a pillow, idiot."

"Just share the bed you two!" Jane called up.

The two glanced at each other, and blushed violently. With barely a pause, they hurried into the room, practically slamming the door behind them so that they could continue the argument without being overheard.

* * *

The power of Persona was a mysterious thing.

Only those who had the Potential could call their Persona out into the world, a manifestation of one's psyche. A mask created to protect the summoner from the world around them. There were many questions about why some people were able summon Personas and others weren't. Some researchers pointed to childhood, saying that the power of persona arose from the traumas within. The death of parents, violence, tragedy… that the Persona was the mask created to deal with such tragedy. Others said that personas arose from strength of a person's will.

Misao had been taught that in order to summon, two things were needed. The first was the presence of the Dark Hour. Only in the Dark Hour did the tower of Tartarus and the shadows appear, and only in the Dark Hour could the Personas be summoned. The second requirement was a certain weapon. In order to call forth a persona, an evoker was needed.

The evoker was simple little machine. Made in the shape of a simple pistol, one with the potential only had to raise the gun to their head. And shoot themselves.

For ten years, this power had been used to fight the Shadows. Slowly at first, due to the sheer lack of manpower. But, when Misao had moved into the Iwatodai Dorms in the middle of April, the fight snowballed. S.E.E.S. had slowly expanded, and Misao had learned how to use her power to fight against the Shadows, to protect everyone.

They had talked, before they went to sleep. This wasn't their world; that much at the very least had become clear over the past twenty-four hours. Too much was different: locations they had never heard of, things they had never seen, a religion they knew nothing of. Not to mention the fact that there was no Dark Hour. The two had waited up, patiently, to check to see if that thirteenth hour still occurred here.

It didn't. Misao knew it was a good thing; that the fact there was no Dark Hour meant that all of these people were safe. But its absence also put both Shinjiro and Misao on edge. It confirmed that they weren't home anymore.

They couldn't deny it any more. There was no way that this world was the world that they had grown up. And there were several precautions they had to talk about. For since there was no Dark Hour, and since this was not their world, would their evokers work? Would their Personas come forth? Or would they simply die? And they couldn't risk others knowing… Ikutski and Mitsuru had always impressed on the newer members of S.E.E.S. the necessity of secrecy. Ikutski had elaborated once, back when Misao had first joined.

"_Well, Misao, do you remember your first night?" he had begun, pushing up glasses. "The panic, the fear?." The advisor had paused to wait for Misao to come to her own conclusion._

"_Easy fodder for shadows," the girl had murmured, gazing off into the middle distance. "There would be so much panic… and they wouldn't be able to defend themselves… if they would even believe us. Seeing… is a large part of believing after all."_

It had been the last time Misao had openly questioned the Kirijo group's policy of secrecy. Things would come to light, when they came to light. Even if it took a little investigative prodding from the various members of S.E.E.S.

In any case, what chance would they have of people believing them here? Here, in a world where the Dark Hour never occurred? They were stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the only had their wits and their weapons to figure out how to get home.

They had gone to bed when it was almost one, having talked long past when the Dark Hour was supposed to have occurred. Misao had made Shinjiro sleep in the bed with her. The job tomorrow wouldn't be easy, if they had had no sleep. And it had to be a good sleep, not one that involved one person sleeping on the floor. So Misao insisted they each get a side of the bed, and they had each fallen asleep on their own side.

So when Shinjiro woke up from sleeping on the bed, he was surprised to find Misao curled up next to him, face pressed into his chest. He looked down at the sleeping girl. She looked so much more vulnerable when she was asleep. He had only seen her asleep once before; when she had fallen ill from getting caught out in a typhoon.

Brushing a strand of hair from out of her face, Shinjiro lay there for a moment more, before he slowly disentangled himself from Misao and got out of bed. The sun would be coming up soon and they needed to be ready to go. Well. His eyes slid over to look at Misao who was still asleep on the bed. She had curled into a little ball, moving to where Shinjiro had been lying a moment ago. With a gentle smile, the brunet pulled the covers farther up, and made sure Misao was tucked in. He could let her sleep for a while longer while he got the supplies together.

With a quick motion, he pulled his turtleneck over his head, and ran a hand through his hair to smooth it out, and went to check the bags they had been given. His had a few sets of spare clothing and a few other supplies. The brunet wasn't quite sure what was in Misao's bag. It was probably something similar. Making a few adjustments to his own bag, Shinjiro stood up and absently stretched, and headed towards the door. The chef had promised to give him some of the left over stew Shinjiro had helped to make if he came to pick it up himself. He spared himself a quick glance back at Misao, who was still sleeping.

He would have to wake her up when he got back.

Misao awoke to an empty room. With a groan, she curled up further under the covers, before shooting out of them, practically tripping over the sheets in her urgency to get out of bed. "Shinji?" she called out, wildly searching the room for her companion. His stuff was still here… Peeling off the pajamas that had been in the bag Jane had packed, she dressed, thumping around and tripping over herself in her haste to get dressed and try to find Shinjiro.

She had fallen into the floor and was wiggling into her socks when the door opened and Shinjiro stepped in, pausing to look at the girl wriggling on the ground to get her socks on. "What are you doing?" Shinjiro asked drily, stepping into the room.

Shooting to her feet, one sock half off, Misao lunged at Shinjiro, hugging him, forcing him to shift his grip on the food packages so they weren't crushed. "I'd thought you'd disappeared!" she told him, voice muffled by the fact her face was pressed into his chest. "Don't do that, you lummox!"

The brunet patted her on the back, trying to not drop what he was holding in his hands. "Misao, I'm holding food…" The girl held on for a moment longer, before stepping back, the half-on sock awkwardly following after her.

"Sorry Shinji~ But I was worried… You could have woken me…" Misao followed Shinjiro as he moved to the table in the room, setting down the food he had picked up form the kitchen.

"You needed the sleep, idiot. I know you were out doing something at Paulownia Mall before we went to Tartarus," Shinjiro began to sort through the food, separating the lunch food from the light breakfast he picked up. "And make sure you eat the apple. You need to eat more fruit."

During his speech, Misao had finished pulling on her sock, and hid a scowl. She didn't want to eat more fruit. Or vegetables, which he would probably bring up the next time she tried to dodge eating that food group. In any case, she did eat the apple, and the rest of breakfast Shinjiro had brought up, making him eat too.

They left soon after finishing breakfast. Jane had met them at the door, brightly beaming at the two. "Thank you so much, Jane," Misao said one last time, as she and Shinjiro stood on the inn's threshold.

"Don't thank me dearie, you just go help keep the Fon Master safe. Remember: A boy with green hair, white robes, wearing the symbol of Yulia Jue. Now off you go, shoo!" Jane smiled, hugging the girl one final time. "And you keep her safe young man. I want to be invited to the wedding."

"We're not getting married!" they protested simultaneously as the door shut in their faces. Shinjiro sighed, and turned away from the door, taking a few steps.

"Let's go."

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**Thank you for reading! Reviews are appreciated. Have a nice day~!**


	5. Chapter 4

**New chapter~ Finally~ You might have gotten a notice about this chapter a few months ago. It's because I loaded it up, and then a friend pointed out a major error. So I took it down. And edited it. So hopefully, that doesn't happen again~ -crosses fingers. In any case, thank you for reading my story, and I hope you enjoy the chapter~**

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing! NOTHING!**

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**Chapter 4**

_Into the woods _

_And down the dell, _

_The path is straight,_

_I know it well._

_Into the woods, _

_And who can tell_

_What's waiting on the journey?_

_~"Prologue" from Into the Woods_

The Fon Master was a sickly looking green haired boy. Misao had never met a boy who naturally had green hair, but she supposed there was always a first time. Carrying a staff, the two could easily identify him, both from the description Jane had given them, to the general air the kid had about him.

He just seemed… so innocent. The boy hadn't even sensed the two approach him, until Misao asked him where he was going, and he whirled around in surprise. He calmed down quickly though.

"Nowhere," he had told them, lightly gripping a staff in his hands. It didn't look like a staff used for fighting; more like an ornamental one, with what looked like a tuning fork on top. Another tuning fork was hung on a chain around his neck; Misao supposed that that was the symbol that Jane had mentioned.

"Really." The Fon Master shrunk under Shinjiro's single word. Contained within that one word was a whole slew of undertones, the most prominent being one that proclaimed to the world: 'You are full of bull. Don't lie to us.'

"Well…" The fon master looked away. "I'm out for a walk. Really, it's nothing."

"Nothing, huh? What about the monsters out there? That staff doesn't look like the kind that'll fight them off." Shinjiro was doing an excellent job of looming over the Fon Master.

"Shinjiro, be nice." Misao turned back to the Fon Master. He seemed to be taking Shinji's words calmly, which was rather unusual for people on the receiving end of Shinjiro's attention. "I'm sorry, but Shinjiro's right. That staff looks more like a prop. Going on a walk is dangerous what with the monsters and stuff outside. Why don't you at least let us come with you? Safety in numbers!" Misao had sidled up to Ion, linking her arm through his, and grinning up at the Fon Master. "Besides, we're not really doing anything. So it's not like it's a problem."

"Um, well…"

"We can't let you go out there alone. There are monsters and worse outside, and if anything should happen to you, what would the rest of the Order do without you?" Even with the possible threats apparent, the Fon Master seemed too calm. Was he just always this way? Misao wasn't sure.

"Okay, if you'd like to come with me that's fine. I'm just going out to the Cheagle Woods…"

"I've never been there, but there's a first time for everything~" Misao grinned, and began to walk forward, practically dragging Ion along. "Um, you'll have to direct us. It would be horrible if we got lost."

"The Cheagle Woods are to the North…" Ion glanced over his shoulder, and caught sight of Shinjiro walking a few steps behind. The Fon Master smiled. Shinjiro did not.

"Excellent! To the North we go! Oh! My name is Misao, and this is Shinjiro," Misao cheerily disclosed at the trio walked out of town, walking by the Fon Master's side while Shinjiro trailed a few steps behind.

The boy smiled at her. "My name is Ion… thank you for coming with me." A slightly guilty look crossed his face.

"It's no problem!" Misao reassured happily. "We're happy to help. One shouldn't need a reason to to help others."

"That's a nice reason," Ion agreed, nodding slightly. "I don't think I've ever heard someone say that before…"

"Really?" Misao replied, scratching the back of her head. "Maybe it's rude to say it aloud. Do you think it's weird to say that?"

"You're going to get taken advantage of," the Shinjiro predicted, slipping his hands into his pockets. It was weird to not be wearing his coat, and weirder to have a pack on his back. He hadn't worn a backpack in the last few years, since his school attendance had started to dwindle. Absently he shifted the pack on his back, only to find that Misao had started to walk backwards to face him, a sweet expression on her face.

"Shinjiro, you're so negative~ You've got to be positive!" She began to wave her free arm expressively when she saw his doubtful expression.

"You look like you're trying to fly," he commented after Misao had been waving her arm for a few minutes, rattling on and on about how people weren't all bad. Misao began to pout, and mumbled something to herself, something that sounded suspiciously close to "Silly goomba". Shinjiro hmphed at her, and continued to follow as the morning continued to pass. Ion began to laugh.

It felt so normal. If it wasn't for Ion and the fact that they were walking through a field, Misao could easily believe that she was just on her way to school, with Junpei and Yukari, and there was nothing wrong, besides Tartarus. Easy to think that she and Shinjiro were at home, and not wherever they were now.

"Is everything all right?" Ion's voice pierced her thoughts, and Misao quickly shook her head to clear it. Her thoughts must have clouded her face.

"Yeah~" she sang out. "I was just thinking it's a nice day out you know?"

And with that, she diverted the conversation, and her attention. elsewhere.

The walk to the woods passed quickly, but peacefully, monsters seemingly avoiding the trio. It was odd behavior, but behavior the group appreciated, for it was doubtful that the forest would be as calm as the plain they were traversing. The group chatted as they walked, Ion quietly, Misao animatedly, and Shinjiro rarely.

Ion was a nice kid, Misao decided. A bit on the quiet side, seemingly meek, but she could tell there was iron under that boyish exterior. A meek boy did not try to sneak out on his own to solve a problem that wasn't related to him directly. Only a very brave, selfless boy did that. Already, Misao had decided that he was her friend. She was going to defend him with her life, and while it was hard to tell, the girl hoped Shinjiro felt the same.

The Cheagle Woods was an old forest. The trees rose out of sight, towering over the trio that had entered, with overgrown twisted paths cutting through the undergrowth. Bird calls resonated between the mighty oaks and maples, and animals dashed through the bushes and trees, chittering and playing and running away from the humans who dared to intrude upon the forest's solemnity. Wolves and birds with beaks that looked like axes occasionally deigned to bother the trio, but for the most part, things were calm.

Misao loved it. The peace was addictive, and if it weren't for the occasional monster attacks, she might have considered having a picnic here. Well, they technically did. It took the trio of travelers most of the morning to reach the woods, and Shinjiro insisted that they should eat lunch before they entered the forest proper, so that they would be in better condition for whatever they might find within.

So the left over stew was brought out, and a small fire made to reheat it. Misao wasn't quite sure where Shinjiro had gotten the flint and tinder, but she had found some small logs, and retrieved some water from a small stream that ran out of the forest with a bucket Jane had attached to her pack. Lunch was a brief and almost silent affair, once the food had finished reheating.

"So Ion," Misao began around a bite of stew meat, "What were you doing in Engeve?"

The green haired boy looked up from his food, blinking slightly. The question had come rather out of nowhere, for Misao had been tearing into her meal with wild abandon. The boy noted that Shinjiro didn't bat an eye at how the girl ate, and just ordered her to make sure that she didn't choke this time.

"I'm sorry, but it's an Order secret. I can't tell you…" the boy replied, smiling apologetically at the girl.

"An Order Secret…" An expression of deep thought spread across Misao's face, with only her jaw moving so that she could keep eating. For the rest of the meal, the girl tried to figure out what the secret was, and kept thinking as they cleaned up and resumed their walk.

"A zombie attack! That's the secret!" Misao crowed, turning to face Ion as she walked. "There's a zombie threat in Engeve, and you can't tell anybody about it, because it'll make a panic!"

Both Shinjiro and Ion stopped in their tracks, simply looking at the red eyed girl. There was an expression of extreme confusion on Ion's face. Shinjiro just looked used to it. Misao had taken a few steps, and stopped when she realized that the boys had stopped. "What?" At their silence, her hands drifted to her hips, and she leaned forward and repeated herself. "What?"

"There's no zombie threat in Engeve, Fumetsu," Shinjiro said drily, staring down at the girl. "Where the hell did you get that idea?"

"Well, in all zombie movies, the government suppresses the information for the protection of the public," Misao stated, making little quotation marks around the protection of the public. "And Engeve is just the right place for a zombie apocalypse! It's a small farming town, seems fairly isolated, and the government… well, religious order… is in town keeping a secret! It makes sense, right?"

Shinjiro stood silently for a moment, staring at the girl, before he resumed walking, right past Misao. "Come on Fumetsu. Keep walking." Misao began to protest as she turned to follow Shinjiro, grabbing Ion and dragging him along to make sure he kept up.

"Zombies…" Ion repeated quietly as he was dragged along, a cheery smile on his face. Misao reminded him of Anise… He hoped Anise wasn't mad at him. Ion had left her behind in Engeve after all.

The little fight between Shinjiro and Misao lasted a good while, eventually decaying into a playful dispute. Ion listened to the duo. They were rather amusing, and it was clear who was in charge. The boy hid a grin when Misao, sensing her argument was failing, made puppy-dog eyes at the brunet, who looked away in an attempt to dodge the attack.

Which was probably the only reason he saw the wolf. Shinjiro's ax was brought out and used to deflect the wolf's lunge, sparks flying when the creatures teeth collided with the metal head of the ax. Shinjiro pushed the wolf back with a hard push, as another came in from the side. Kicking the newest attacker away, Shinjiro chopped down on the first wolf, digging into the creature's body as he twisted to avoid the spurt of blood that erupted from a punctured artery. The wolf's own heart betrayed it, pumping out precious blood from the wound the brunet had opened.

Turning to face the other attacking wolf, Shinjiro became aware of the fact that he wasn't the only one being attacked. Misao had gotten Ion to stand between her back and Shinjiro's, and was using the long reach of her naginata to herd the other attacking wolves away from Ion. Shinjiro grimaced. They had relaxed too much, and had argued too loudly, and now they were paying the price.

Misao neatly stabbed a wolf in the neck, twisting the weapon to carry the body along with the swing, and launched the body at the fellow wolves. She could hear Shinjiro fighting just a little way from her, and was comforted by his presence. Fighting alone was never a good thing. A grunt of pain distracted her. "Shinji, are you all right?" she asked, beating back another attacker with the flat part of her naginata's blade.

"Fine, Fumetsu, keep fighting," the brunet called back. One of the wolves had managed to get close enough to bite his arm, but he had quickly shaken the thing off. This was annoying. If he could use Castor, thing would have been easier.

"Keep them busy!" Ion called out.

"Right!" Misao called out, trusting the boy. As much as she hated to admit it, she and Shinjiro needed all the help that they could get. There were simply too many wolves for just herself and Shinjiro to deal with. They should have planned this better. But, as Misao reminded herself, hindsight was twenty twenty. They had to deal with this now. So Misao and Shinjiro kept the wolves away from the boy, even as they heard him chant, even as they saw runes start to glow beneath their feet.

What they didn't expect was to be engulfed in a pillar of light.

It felt warm. Warm, calming, like the embrace of a mother when you were a kid, after falling and scrapping your knee. Both Misao and Shinjiro savored the feeling, before it rapidly faded.

When the light was gone, there were no more monsters attacking, bodies lying where they had fallen after being buffeted by the pillar of life. The spell that had comforted Misao let out a grateful breath, turning around to face her friends. Only to find Ion on his hands and knees panting.

"Ion!"

In a flash, Misao was kneeling next to the green haired boy, trying to figure out what was wrong. The poor boy was panting, and he looked even paler than normal.

"I'm fine," the boy said, a forced grin on his face.

The red eyed girl tutted. "No, you're not!" Fussing over the boy, she helped get him into a sitting position, checking his pulse, and forcing him to eat some food, in addition to actually resting. "You shouldn't put yourself at risk!" she began, launching into a mini-tirade. He had truly worried her, when she had turned around and saw him. Ion had looked close to death, if not past.

While the girl was berating Ion, Shinjiro was examining the corpses of the wolf pack. On the ones that Ion's spell alone had touched, there was no physical marks on the bodies. He checked multiple bodies. It was easy to tell which ones he and Misao had slaughtered, slash marks and bloodstains covering the corpses. "What was that?" he murmured to himself.

"It was a Daathic Fonic Arte." Ion had evidently overheard the brunet's question. At the blank looks he continued. "They're fonic artes unique to the fon master, utilizing the seventh fonon."

"The same one as the one that makes up the Score?" Misao unsurely put forth, trying to remember what she had weaned out of Jane last night. Fonons were particles or something of sound, that made up the world, and there were seven of them. Which one was which, she couldn't remember. And evidently, a fonic arte was using them to attack… she thought. She wasn't sure, and she didn't want to ask. She didn't want to have a newbie stamp placed on her head.

"Yes," Ion smiled up at the girl. "Only Fon Masters can use it."

"Does it kill all of you Fon Masters to do that?" Shinjiro mumbled grumpily as he stalked over, one hand shoved deep into a pants pocket, while the other held his ax so it rested on his shoulder.

"Shinjiro," Misao warned as she glanced down at Ion. She could see the beginnings of a guilty expression on the boy's face. "Ion. Look at me." The girl didn't continue until Ion was looking right at her face, into her eyes. "We are really, truly grateful that you stepped in to help us. If you hadn't, one of us would have gotten hurt badly. It's just that you worried us. You collapsed and almost fell unconscious… So please, Ion, don't do that again. We don't want you to get hurt."

Ion was silent for a moment, a solemn expression on his face. "I'm sorry to make you worry," he replied honestly.

Misao grinned, ruffling Ion's bangs. "I know. You were trying to help." Rising to her feet, she proffered a hand to the sitting boy. "Ready to go? We have to go find those Cheagles, you know."

Taking her hand, Ion pulled himself to his feet, exhibiting a semi-incredulous expression. "You'll still let me go?"

"If we didn't, you'd go on your own, wouldn't you?" Shinjiro took the boy's silence as a yes. "Can't let you go on your own, idiot. Probably get yourself killed." And with that Shinjiro began to walk away, deeper into the woods.

There was a pause. "Is he always that scary, with the glare?"

It was an innocent question that Ion asked, one that was obviously entirely serious. Misao tried to smother her laughter, as she slipped an arm through Ion's and began to lead him on. "No…"

"Really?" Ion was looking up at her, his face smeared with a look of disbelief.

The girl couldn't contain it anymore, her peals of laughter echoing through the woods. "Don't be so loud! You'll attract more wolves!" Shinjiro snapped, causing Misao to laugh harder.

Eventually, her laughter died down, and she looked at the green haired boy she was walking with. "Really. He just likes being grumpy so he isn't bothered. Go on, give him a hug."

The laughter started up again, as she watched Shinjiro try to wriggle out of Ion's hug. "Don't hug me, idiot."

This was going to be interesting.

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**Thank you for reading~ Reviews are appreciated, but I just hope that you enjoyed reading my story~ Have a nice day~**


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